Key Games

Goldeneye

Killer Instinct

Donkey Kong Country

Few companies commanded attention in the late ‘90s like Rare. When Nintendo’s ace second-party developer announced a new game, all eyes turned to the UK-based crew as they unveiled an incredible new property – or a bold take on a familiar franchise. The company’s interpretation of James Bond paved new ground for console-based first-person shooters, ensuring hundreds of thousands of hours were lost to Goldeneye 007. Games like Donkey Kong 64, Donkey Kong Country and Banjo Kazooie came close to capturing the feeling, imagination and graphical prowess of Nintendo’s own Mario games – no small feat. Of course, all of these efforts say nothing of the prolific developer’s projects, ranging from Battletoads to Killer Instinct, from Perfect Dark to Jet Force Gemini. Rare was everywhere, and gaming was better for it. The company’s modern day efforts may be far quieter now, but that doesn’t change a legacy of incredible content.